


beloved

by aliaaaaaa



Series: webgottrash tumblr prompts [77]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Drunk Confession, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 21:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8594650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliaaaaaa/pseuds/aliaaaaaa
Summary: “Why don’t you ever call me by my given name?”





	

**Author's Note:**

> for [Taylor](http://somethingyesterday.tumblr.com/), who asked me to write Webgott with one of them saying an "I love you" for the first time.
> 
> not beta-read so there will be mistakes.

Joe opens the door and shuffles through awkwardly. He slips his arm under Web’s shoulder and waist firmly, simultaneously pushing him forward and steadying him on his feet. Web leans into Joe heavily, his fingers pull on Joe’s jacket desperately as the world tilts sharply, trying to knock him down.  
  
“Jesus, Web. You’re so heavy,” Joe grunts, pushing Web onto the narrow bed, stepping on their laundry that are being thrown haphazardly on the suite floor. “How much did you have?” Joe asks, taking off Web’s shoes and socks for him, arranging Web’s body until his suite-mate is properly lying on the lumpy mattress.  
  
“ _Nghh_ ,” Web answers, shifting his body to his side and nuzzling his pillows as Joe moves around their small shared suite.  
  
Web feels the bed dipped and Joe’s voice sounding so far away as he orders Web to drink the water.  
  
“Don’t wanna,” Web mumbles, pressing his face on Joe’s side and sighing contently when he feels fingers in his thick hair.  
  
“You gotta drink this, Web,” Joe coaxes gently, tugging Web’s hair and scraping his nails on Web’s scalp. “You’ll have a huge hangover if you don’t.”  
  
Web doesn’t reply, and he doesn’t move apart from the rhythmic falling and rising of his chest. Joe thinks Web has fallen asleep and he’s about to get up when he hears Web mumbles.  
  
“Why don’t you ever call me by my given name?”  
  
The fingers in Web’s hair stop moving and Web pushes his head to Joe’s palm, silently asking him to continue.

“I don’t know,” Joe says quietly, his fingers continue to tug on Web’s hair.

_(In all honesty, he knows why but he doesn’t want to ponder the reason now. Not when Web is pliant and soft beside him.)_

They are quiet. They can hear the party from below still going on; the faint sound of the bass thumping their wall; Luz’s voice doing some impression of someone, their friends’ laughter sounding like a dream.

It feels nice to sit quietly like this; no arguing, no bickering. Just them being quiet together; with Joe’s fingers playing with his hair, alternating between petting and tugging. Web shifts again, blinking up to see Joe looking at him curiously. “Hey,” Web smiles, and Joe’s expression changes and Web thinks he might be drunker than he thought because there’s no way for Joe to look at him with such soft fondness in his brown eyes.

“Do you know what Lieb means?”

Joe’s eyes gazes at him, pinning him with a stare before he shakes his head, the universal gesture of no.

_(Of course he knows. He grew up speaking German exclusively until he was 4 years old. He knows what his name mean, but he’s curious with what’s in Webster’s head tonight)_

Web shifts again, moves his body until his head is resting on Joe’s thigh; blinking his eyes slowly. “It means beloved,” Web whispers softly, _reverently_ as if it’s a great secret that he doesn’t want to share with anyone else but Joe.

Joe looks at Web; at his flushed pretty face, at his glassy blue eyes; at the way Web is smiling at him, how there’s a bit of reserved sadness to it.

“Do you know what David means?”

_(Joe knows)_

“It means beloved too,” Web continues without waiting for Joe’s reply. “You and I have the same name, Joe. But you never call me _that_.”

“You rarely call me Lieb too,” Joe argues quietly, his hand heavy on Web’s head.

Web digs his fingers into Joe’s thigh; hard enough until Joe is narrowing his eyes at him; ready to tell him off but all he sees in Web’s eyes are softness and sadness.

“Ich liebe dich,” Web murmurs, blue eyes gazing up to watch Joe’s stunned face. He licks his lip and sighs quietly; rolling off of Joe’s thigh to face the wall. “That’s the reason why I don’t use that name. Because I’m in love with you, have been for _years_ , and I’m scared you will find out about it if call you Lieb because I never know how to control my emotion.”

Joe looks at Web’s lithe back and feels his heart about to jump out from his throat. He doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t have the _right_ words to tell Webster that he feels the same way too. That the reason he never calls Web by his given name like some of their friends do is because he’s scared too. That Web will catch on quickly that when he uses David, he doesn’t use it lightly. That there’s a certain fondness, an intense feeling reserved for one David Webster if he uses that name.

Joe shrugs off his jacket and toes off his shoes before he gets in the narrow bed and presses his body firmly against Web’s. He notes the surprised jerk from the other man when he slips his arm around Web’s torso to hug him firmly; feels the tension deflates out from Web’s body as Web pulls him closer by his arm.

“Geh schlafen,” Joe orders, kissing the back of Web’s head. Then in a quiet murmur, he adds, “I’m gonna be here when you wake up.”

It’s not a declaration of love.

He’s not ready for that yet now even if what he feels for Webster is true. He’s not ready to open up his feeling when they are both vulnerable and tipsy drunk. For now, this is what he can offer to the both of them; by holding Web in his arms and silently telling him that he’s not gonna be alone. By pressing soft kisses on Web’s hair and humming an old lullaby as he feels Webster’s fingers caressing his hand.

Tomorrow, when they are both sober and awake; he will have the courage to call Web by his given name. Tomorrow when they are both nervous and slightly hungover, guzzling coffee like it’s their elixir of life; with caffeine buzzing in his system, he will tell Webster that he loves Webster too, that he is scared beyond anything but that’s okay because they can be scared and learn to be brave together.

For now, slowly, quietly; they fall asleep holding on to each other closely.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comment are very much appreciated! thanks for reading!


End file.
